I'm currently adding support for the v3 protocol in PHP pgsql extension.
I'm wondering if anyone minds if I lift documentation wholesale from
the PostgreSQL docs for the PHP docs for these functions. For instance,
the fieldcodes allowed for PQresultErrorField, docs on
PQtransactionStatus, etc.

I don't really see the point of me 'rephrasing' it all

Cheers,

Chris

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> I'm currently adding support for the v3 protocol in PHP pgsql extension.
> I'm wondering if anyone minds if I lift documentation wholesale from
> the PostgreSQL docs for the PHP docs for these functions. For instance,
> the fieldcodes allowed for PQresultErrorField, docs on
> PQtransactionStatus, etc.
>
> I don't really see the point of me 'rephrasing' it all

This raises an interesting point, the PHP guys want the copyrights
assigned to the PHP project on their license, are there any
incompatibilities between Postgres' and PHP's license?

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On Tue, 15 Mar 2005, Christopher Kings-Lynne wrote:

> I'm currently adding support for the v3 protocol in PHP pgsql extension.
> I'm wondering if anyone minds if I lift documentation wholesale from the
> PostgreSQL docs for the PHP docs for these functions. For instance, the
> fieldcodes allowed for PQresultErrorField, docs on PQtransactionStatus,
> etc.

There shouldn' tbe any issues ... if I recall correctly, someone took the
docs wholesale and bound/sold them as documentation at one point ... maybe
an attribution as to where you got it from?

----
Marc G. Fournier Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org)
Email: scrappy@hub.org Yahoo!: yscrappy ICQ: 7615664

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On Tue, Mar 15, 2005 at 06:08:48 -0500,
Mark Woodward <pgsql@mohawksoft.com> wrote:
> > I'm currently adding support for the v3 protocol in PHP pgsql extension.
> > I'm wondering if anyone minds if I lift documentation wholesale from
> > the PostgreSQL docs for the PHP docs for these functions. For instance,
> > the fieldcodes allowed for PQresultErrorField, docs on
> > PQtransactionStatus, etc.
> >
> > I don't really see the point of me 'rephrasing' it all
>
> This raises an interesting point, the PHP guys want the copyrights
> assigned to the PHP project on their license, are there any
> incompatibilities between Postgres' and PHP's license?

Just because the licenses are compatible, doesn't necessarily mean you
can safely sign over the copyrights for documentation that you don't hold.
If PHP holds the copyright they can relicense the documentation later under
a license that may not be compatible with BSD.

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Bruno Wolff III wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 15, 2005 at 06:08:48 -0500,
> Mark Woodward <pgsql@mohawksoft.com> wrote:
> > > I'm currently adding support for the v3 protocol in PHP pgsql extension.
> > > I'm wondering if anyone minds if I lift documentation wholesale from
> > > the PostgreSQL docs for the PHP docs for these functions. For instance,
> > > the fieldcodes allowed for PQresultErrorField, docs on
> > > PQtransactionStatus, etc.
> > >
> > > I don't really see the point of me 'rephrasing' it all
> >
> > This raises an interesting point, the PHP guys want the copyrights
> > assigned to the PHP project on their license, are there any
> > incompatibilities between Postgres' and PHP's license?
>
> Just because the licenses are compatible, doesn't necessarily mean you
> can safely sign over the copyrights for documentation that you don't hold.
> If PHP holds the copyright they can relicense the documentation later under
> a license that may not be compatible with BSD.

Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
license, including commercial.

--
Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 359-1001
+ If your life is a hard drive, | 13 Roberts Road
+ Christ can be your backup. | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073

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On Tue, Mar 15, 2005 at 08:34:14 -0500,
Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us> wrote:
>
> Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
> license, including commercial.

If that were true, than why not have the code public domain? Ismn't there
credit information that is supposed to be kept?

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Bruno Wolff III wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 15, 2005 at 08:34:14 -0500,
> Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us> wrote:
> >
> > Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
> > license, including commercial.
>
> If that were true, than why not have the code public domain? Ismn't there
> credit information that is supposed to be kept?

I am not sure we require any _credit_ given to use for use of our code.
As I see it, our only limitation is don't sue us.

--
Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 359-1001
+ If your life is a hard drive, | 13 Roberts Road
+ Christ can be your backup. | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073

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Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us> writes:
> Bruno Wolff III wrote:
>> Just because the licenses are compatible, doesn't necessarily mean you
>> can safely sign over the copyrights for documentation that you don't hold.
>> If PHP holds the copyright they can relicense the documentation later under
>> a license that may not be compatible with BSD.

> Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
> license, including commercial.

The point remains that Chris, by himself, does not hold the copyright on
the PG docs and therefore cannot assign it to anyone.

ISTM the PHP guys are essentially saying that they will only take stuff
that is clearly authored by the individual contributor. Which is a good
safe position for them to take. They are trying to stay out of gray
areas, and therefore they are not going to want docs that are just
cut-and-pasted from community property.

regards, tom lane

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>>Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
>>license, including commercial.
>
> The point remains that Chris, by himself, does not hold the copyright on
> the PG docs and therefore cannot assign it to anyone.
>
> ISTM the PHP guys are essentially saying that they will only take stuff
> that is clearly authored by the individual contributor. Which is a good
> safe position for them to take. They are trying to stay out of gray
> areas, and therefore they are not going to want docs that are just
> cut-and-pasted from community property.

Argh. Well here comes a copy and paste PHP docs patch with a some
'rephrasings'... Since the PHP API to pgsql is identical to libpq's...

Chris

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>>>Uh, but that's what the BSD license allows --- relicensing as any other
>>>license, including commercial.
>>
>> The point remains that Chris, by himself, does not hold the copyright on
>> the PG docs and therefore cannot assign it to anyone.
>>
>> ISTM the PHP guys are essentially saying that they will only take stuff
>> that is clearly authored by the individual contributor. Which is a good
>> safe position for them to take. They are trying to stay out of gray
>> areas, and therefore they are not going to want docs that are just
>> cut-and-pasted from community property.
>
> Argh. Well here comes a copy and paste PHP docs patch with a some
> 'rephrasings'... Since the PHP API to pgsql is identical to libpq's...
>

Technically, that is still a derived work.

I would say that "The PostgreSQL Global Development Group" or its
representatives (I'm assuming Tom, Bruce, and/or Marc Fournier) just has
to give something written, that says Christopher Kings-Lynne of "your
address, city, country, etc" has the right to re-license or distribute
under the PHP license the PostgreSQL documentation to the PHP group for
the purpose of documenting the PostgreSQL object relational system, etc.
etc.

Once that is done, and the Representatives of "The PostgreSQL Global
Development Group" have signed off, you should just be allowed to copy. In
fact, I would say that is the best way to do it. Even copying and
rephrasing is copyright infringement. The only way around it is the
Phoenix technology method, where an unspoiled writer would take
instructions from you and your read of the original documentation.

Seriously, this should happen anyway. The PHP guys are not doing due
diligence on what they accept.

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